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Gillard hosts influential women bloggers

TONY EASTLEY: In what appears to be a sign of things to come, the Prime Minister has made another beeline for women voters.

Last night in Sydney she hosted her second function in six months for some of the country's most popular female bloggers.

Julia Gillard's harnessing the power of social media to connect with women and Labor strategists are keen to exploit the gender issue, particularly since her historic 'misogyny' speech.

Opinion polls continue to show the Prime Minister has more support from women than men - in sharp contrast to the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott.

From Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Prime Minister summed up the canapés and drinks function with 'mummy' and other bloggers at her official Sydney residence last night, tweeting a photo with the caption 'some of Australia's most influential women take over Kirribilli for PM Xmas drinks'.

AMBER ROBINSON: I think it was just a nice celebratory atmosphere. A few people brought presents for the Prime Minister, including baked goods. Some of the people brought biscuits they'd made with their children and it was just a festive atmosphere and a thrill for everyone.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Amber Robinson is the editor of Fairfax's Essentialbaby, the biggest online parenting website in the country.

AMBER ROBINSON: So she's quite social media savvy, the Prime Minister. Her offices have done a lot of reaching out on social media and you know blogs and forums, all those things play a big part of social media.

She's invited people along who have, you know, high profile Twitter accounts and are going to get the right buzz around the issues that she's working on.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Julia Gillard hosted 20 women with a combined readership of more than 2 million. Labor's preparing to capitalise on gender issues in 2013, an election year, making a concerted effort to engage with women.

MIA FREEDMAN: I think it's an incredibly smart thing to do.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Mia Freedman was another of the invited guests, though unable to attend this time round. She founded the women's website Mamamia.

MIA FREEDMAN: Showing that commitment to reaching out and actually listening to people as well as talking to them is not just what women expect in 2012, it's what they demand.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: She thinks Tony Abbott has a little bit of catching up to do.

MIA FREEDMAN: Women are increasingly online. You really have to go to where the people are. You can no longer expect them to just come to you.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: And do you think Tony Abbott understands that?

MIA FREEDMAN: Not yet. He's written for Mamamia two or three times, the most recent one in the last couple of months. On my Christmas card that I received from him this week, he said he was looking forward to coming and blogging in the office next year.

But he's very much taken a small target approach when it comes to women, and I think he's very cautious and very hesitant about being nailed down on any issue pertaining to women.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Amber Robinson says the Opposition Leader came up in conversation at Kirribilli House.

AMBER ROBINSON: I haven't been approached by the Opposition for any kind of similar function. You know, they haven't really I guess tried to reach out to women's interest media in the same way, so I think that maybe they could learn something definitely.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: And Mia Freedman reckons Mr Abbott's attempt to keep the ban on the abortion drug RU486 when he was health minister remains an issue for women who say they have a problem with him.

MIA FREEDMAN: And because he's never addressed that on the record - whether he's changed his mind, whether he stands by his decision - because he's refused to discuss it, it sort of lingered and festered like this bit of a suspicious issue among women.

As the election gets closer, and Tony Abbott really does have work to do with women, he's really going to have to tackle some of these issues head on.

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